Cooling system

Abstract

A cooling system for a plurality of circuit boards, each circuit board having a substantially planar thermally conductive thermal sink having longitudinal sides and being in thermal contact with a plurality of electronic components dissipating heat, includes a heat exchanger for delivering heat to a cooling medium and a heat pipe for transferring heat from each thermal sink to the heat exchanger. The heat pipe includes at least one flat box-shaped heat pipe, at least a first part of the heat pipe being in thermal contact with the longitudinal sides of the thermal sinks of the circuit boards.

I claim: 
     
       1. A cooling system for a plurality of circuit boards, each circuit board having a substantially planar thermally conductive thermal sink having longitudinal sides and being in thermal contact with a plurality of electronic components dissipating heat, said cooling system including: a heat exchanger for delivering heat to a cooling medium; and   a flat box-shaped heat pipe for transferring heat from thermal sinks to said heat exchanger, at least a first part of said heat pipe for thermally contacting longitudinal sides of thermal sinks of circuit boards;   wherein grooves are provided in thermal contact with said flat box-shaped heat pipe, for receiving longitudinal sides of thermal sinks of circuit boards; and   wherein said grooves are provided in said box-shaped heat pipe.   
     
     
       2. A cooling system according to claim 1, wherein said flat box-shaped heat pipe has another part substantially perpendicular to said first part and leading to said heat exchanger. 
     
     
       3. A cooling system according to claim 1, wherein said flat box-shaped heat pipe is disposed to be in thermal contact with longitudinal sides of thermal sinks of two adjacent sets of circuit boards.